Groundhog Day 2017: Thriving in both chaos and order

It's been ten years since I wrote my first Groundhog Day article and even longer since I made the day something of a personal holiday. Here I am again noting the prognostications of various groundhogs, playing the film Groundhog Day [IMDB] on continuous repeat, reflecting on my journey in life over the past year, and revisiting the thoughts and writings of past Groundhog Days. These traditions are, for the most part, invented for myself by myself. That said, I also appreciate the company of others who choose to celebrate the day that has become uniquely special for me. It's a day that is oddly balanced as a visitation to both the repetitively routine and the excitingly evolving.

This past year has been tumultuous for many. Things have shifted in unexpected directions locally, socially, globally, politically, and environmentally. For better or worse, chaos is upon us. And yet, I find myself unafraid in the face of the unknown. I don't mean apathetic when I say unafraid; I mean that I feel ready and energized to experience new challenges. I have grown as a person thanks to the challenges I've experienced in life. Every new mountaintop -- whether literal or metaphorical -- has given me a new perspective. Sure, climbing each mountain was an arduous journey, but the experience has made me better able to climb the next mountain. Every challenge to my resolve has strengthened my willpower, every sadness has taught me new depths, and every smile has brought me new light. My journeys through chaos has become my new order.

In the ten years since I started writing each Groundhog Day, a lot has happened in my life. I have had more than a few perspective changing experiences coupled with more than a handful of "significant life events". I've learned well to embrace adventure and to seek challenge for myself both in my mind and the world around me. And yet, every year, I still circle back to a day of familiar routine and tradition.

Last year, I wrote about the value of perseverance and action. I expanded on those thoughts in a reflection on time. No matter how you choose to spend the time you have, be present in it. This year, I find myself thinking about the way that chaos has formed me into who I am, but how a personal foundation of meaning has given me purpose.

If life feels like a never-ending repetition, as it was for Phil in Groundhog Day, I invite you to find a way to create a little bit of chaos to stimulate fresh perspective. If instead you find yourself surrounded by chaos and turmoil, find a way to stay in the moment. If you panic, you allow the chaos which surrounds you to become a chaos within you. I invite you to thrive in the external storm of chaos while creating meaning and purpose within.

My life has been an amazing journey these past ten years; amazing in both its unexpected challenges and unanticipated growth. I expect that life will always present the unexpected and I know the future is unknown.
Life is a beautiful mix of chaos and order, routine and the unexpected. To live is to embrace that beauty and to heed the words of Douglas Adams in "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" [Goodreads]... Don't Panic.

Indy's YouTube Channel

I've previously mentioned my enjoyment of certain YouTube channels; especially in how I think that many things can be both fun and educational, "edutainment", as I said in that article. Every now and then, I've captured something entertaining or educational on video. Sometimes, those videos have prompted people to say that I should "put that on YouTube". Up until recently, I've hesitated to do so; I've always thought that YouTube, like many things, has so much content that it would be a silly misuse of time to try and add something that might already exist. However, I guess we are all unique individuals with many unique life experiences and, sometimes, an uncommon idea happens in an uncommon situation.

In recent months, I've had the opportunity to offer my help and skills for the benefit of a local wolf sanctuary. WOLF (Wolves Offered Life & Friendship) has been helping "to improve the quality of life for all wolves and wolf dogs" for nearly 10 years. WOLF is not open to the general public, but I encourage you to lend your voice in the support of proper care and education about wolves and wolf-dogs. Visit the WOLF website, follow WOLF on Facebook, and/or subscribe to WOLF on YouTube. It's important that we share our understanding and love for these animals and encourage others to do the same. For most of my life, I have loved, studied, respected, and admired wolves. So, I am more than happy to be a supporting member and an able volunteer of WOLF.

During one of my recent trips to work at the sanctuary, after all of the days tasks had been completed, we took a few of the animals for a walk. Now, a "walk" for a wolf is a little different than what you might imagine; these animals are amazingly strong and energetic. So, after doing my best to take photos while enjoying a walk (translation: run) with one pair, another volunteer had the idea to use my GoPro chest harness on one of the wolves. Thus, an uncommon idea (GoPro on a wolf) occurred in an uncommon situation (a wolf sanctuary). The result was a dizzying video of a wolf running with us in the mountains of Colorado. And that result, I think, is a unique idea with which to open my YouTube channel.

I intend my channel to be largely for infrequent "that was cool" moments. I've been asked to turn some of my survival guides into videos as well, but that has already been done by others on YouTube and, therefore, I may not pursue that request. I don't intend my YouTube videos to be well-produced or well-presented. My only hope is that they will be something fun, fascinating, or informative and give a smile to anyone that decides to watch.

Water is necessary

What do you need? What is essential to every day of your life? In the world of instant gratification, global communication, and relative safety, you might find yourself thinking that you "need" more than truly necessary: Food, Water, Shelter.

When I wrote the survival series, it was about educating people whose basic needs are met in their daily lives. My hope continues to be that those articles can be a helpful resource and provide the knowledge which could save lives in unexpected situations. However, today is Earth Day and I'd like to take a more globally aware view.


URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:D-P005_Kein_Trinkwasser.svg

There are far more people in this world who live in a state of basic survival need everyday than those whose needs are met. People lacking proper nutrition, basic safety/security, and the most basic life need: water. In my articles about the human population reaching 7 billion, I mentioned some statistics about water and sanitation.

Lack access to safe drinking water (1.1 billion): 17.74%
and/or
Lack access to basic sanitation (2.6 billion): 41.93%

Years ago, I briefly shared a video from charity:water about their projects to bring clean drinking water to people around the world. Two years ago, I saw another video from them that I've been thinking about since.

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCHhwxvQqxg

The necessity of water to life is unmistakable, so too are the detrimental effects on the people and communities lacking clean water. Now and again, some people in the developed world are shocked into a life without basic needs (e.g. New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, New England after Hurricane Sandy, the disastrous Carnival Triumph cruise ship). It's in those situations that basic survival skills become the focus of every moment; imagine living always in that state. As the video notes, the time spent trying to meet our basic needs is time that can't be spent on developing ourselves and our community.

Not everyone has the resources, desire, or freedom to lend to the needs of others, but we all feel stress when our needs are being threatened. By keeping an awareness and empathy about that stress, maybe we can each make an effort to recognize and connect with others, helping to improve the overall human condition with the simplest kindness.

How to estimate wind speed and direction

Today is Flag Day in the United States of America. Many countries have these "Flag Day" public holidays, during which the adoption of the national flag or a specific event is recognized. Flags can be found, in some form, throughout history, but their usefulness extends beyond identification, patriotism, and decoration. How? Well, the answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind.


Source: "Palace of the Four Winds" - Wikipedia

It's easy to become so accustomed to our environment that we miss the nuanced information we can collect from it. I previously presented how to predict the weather using observations of your environment in my Survival Guide Series. Today, I would like to detail how you can use similar awareness to discern wind speed and direction, another useful survival skill.

There have been a small collection of measurement systems for estimating wind speed, effects, and direction developed throughout history; one of which is the Beaufort wind force scale [Wikipedia]. Initially used to qualitatively evaluate wind effects, the Beaufort scale was eventually made into a more useful measure of wind conditions.

The Wikipedia article on the Beaufort scale has a wonderfully comprehensive table of the measures and effects of wind at each stage of the scale. I’ve chosen to select specific qualities and quantities from that table to ease memorization. For example, you’ll find that I list specific easy-to-remember speeds approximately within each Beaufort scale, rather than just throw a bunch of data at you. After all, my goal with this article is to make this information easy for you to use without technology or calculation. I want to empower you to look at the world around you and instantly discern the information you desire.

I’ve divided my groupings into three types of observations: flags, land, and sea. The effects described for the flag, are based on a common midsize flag (2:3 ratio, about 1 m ≈ 3 ft on its shortest side). For land, I made sure to include observations of the trees; do keep in mind that other factors can also affect tree movement, such as weather and fauna (e.g. rain may make leaves move, snow may hinder branch motion, squirrels may shake small branches).

CALM
Beaufort 0 - Less than 2 km/h (≈ 1.25 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag is at rest.
Land: Smoke rises gradually straight up, with very little drifting.
Sea: The water’s surface will appear smooth and reflections will be clearly recognizable.

LIGHT AIR
Beaufort 1 - 5 km/h (≈ 3 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag moves slightly in the wind, the bottom corner of the flag will hang.
Land: Smoke will drift with the wind.
Sea: The surface of the water will show some rippling.

LIGHT BREEZE
Beaufort 2 - 10 km/h (≈ 6 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag extends in the wind, the top corner may flap and curl.
Land: Tree leaves begin to rustle.
Sea: Small waves begin forming. No curling or cresting.

GENTLE BREEZE
Beaufort 3 - 20 km/h (≈ 12 mi/hr)

Flag: Waves move across the fabric when the flag is extended in the wind.
Land: Leaves and small twigs will be constantly moving.
Sea: “Wavelets” form, crests begin to form and break.

MODERATE BREEZE
Beaufort 4 - 30 km/h (≈ 20 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag is in constant motion, flapping quickly in the wind.
Land: Small tree branches begin to move. Dust and debris will be carried by the wind.
Sea: Small waves (up to 1 m high) begin to make longer curls. Crests become more numerous and easily visible.

FRESH BREEZE
Beaufort 5 - 40 km/h (≈ 25 mi/hr)

Flag: Ripples move quickly across the fabric.
Land: Small trees with leaves will begin to sway.
Sea: Moderate waves (1-2 m high) form. Many crests are visible, some surface spray is carried by the wind.

STRONG BREEZE
Beaufort 6 - 50 km/h (≈ 30 mi/hr)

Flag: The flag will “snap” and “pop” as it waves, flaps, and ripples. Damage to the flag will begin to occur.
Land: Larger tree branches will begin moving.
Sea: Large waves (2-4 m high) form. More spray is carried in the wind.

NEAR GALE
Beaufort 7 - 60 km/h (≈ 35 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag will begin to tear, possibly detaching from its hoist.
Land: Large trees begin to move and sway. Most people will feel some resistance when walking against the wind.
Sea: The surface of the water begins to heave. Sea heaps up, waves about 5 meters in height will form. Crests will spread down the waves from where the wave breaks.

GALE
Beaufort 8 - 75 km/h (≈ 45 mi/hr)

Flag: What flag? If not already torn from its hoist, there will be little left of the flag to respond to the wind.
Land: Loose leaves and small twigs break free of tree branches. Most people will have difficulty standing and/or staying balanced in the wind.
Sea: Moderately high waves (5-7 m) form. Spray from crests drifts (aka “spindrift”) across the surface with the wind.

STRONG GALE
Beaufort 9 - 88 km/h (≈ 55 mi/hr)

Land: Large tree branches may break. Some damage to buildings.
Sea: High waves (7-10 m) form. The whole surface begins to roll. Foam streaks across the surface. Spray carried in the wind notably fills the air.

STORM
Beaufort 10 - 100 km/h (≈ 65 mi/hr)

Land: Tree trunks may break and/or whole trees will uproot. Significant damage to buildings. (Wind of this speed is a rare occurrence on land.)
Sea: Very high waves (10-12 m) with large crests. The surface is dense with foam and rolls deeply. Visibility is hindered more by spray in the air.

VIOLENT STORM
Beaufort 11 - 115 km/h (≈ 70 mi/hr)

Sea: Waves nearly 15 meters in height. The surface of the water is mostly foam.

HURRICANE
Beaufort 12 - Greater than 115 km/h (≈ 70 mi/hr)

Sea: The air is now filled with foam and spray. Waves are over 15 meters high and the surface of the water is completely white with foam and spray.

I know this list of observations seems long, but it can be fun to focus most on those qualities most commonly relevant to your daily life (Beaufort 2 - 8). In the days writing this article, I have found myself frequently looking out a window to observe, estimate, and check the wind speed.

It’s easy to miss the wonders of the world around us, if we don’t first make an effort to look for them. I hope that the information within these guides inspires your enjoyment of our planet and makes the external environment feel more personally relevant.

Reapplying the sunscreen

My recent article about sunscreen contained a lot information on the light spectrum of the Sun and what radiation reaches the surface of our planet. The last bits of my article were dedicated to the choice and application of sunscreen. Those last bits were inspired by a graphic ["The Sunscreen Smokescreen" - Information is Beautiful] I encountered last Summer on one of my favorite data visualization blogs.

Like my blog, the graphic contains a lot of data, but it's an abundance of sunscreen data whereas my blog spent more time on light spectrum. So, if you want to "reapply" more sunscreen knowledge to your brain, check out the graphic below:

Source: "The Sunscreen Smokescreen" - Information is Beautiful

Save your skin

In the United States, we recently took pause on Memorial Day [Wikipedia] to recognize and remember the men and women of service who have given their lives and life’s work to preserve the lives or life-work of others. For many, Memorial Day also marks the typical start of the Summer vacation season. The increase in outdoor activity, coupled with the longer Summer day-lengths [“Survival Guide: Tell time using the Sun or Moon” - INDY Blog], means more time under that bright ball of fusion: the Sun.

There’s a lot of energy radiating from all that solar activity; most of that energy is wonderfully beneficial, bringing light and sustenance to our world, but some of that energy can also be rather harmful. Today, I’m going to discuss both the costs and the benefits, so that you’re better prepared to embrace the Summer months.

First, let’s talk about the energy coming from our star, the Sun [“Sunlight” - Wikipedia]. The large majority of the solar spectrum is in the range of radio waves, infrared, and visible light. The remaining bit is made up of ultraviolet and X-rays.

Source: "Solar Spectrum" - Wikipedia

As I said, radio waves, infrared, and visible light are very common, in fact, you see visible light every day! The wavelengths of these particles are long enough that they are harmless, except to the most sensitive of receptors (e.g. your eyes). It’s really the high-energy short-wavelength radiation which we need to be concerned about, so let’s take a look at those types now.

You may have heard of Gamma rays, that highly energetic form of electromagnetic radiation which can ionize atoms and, therefore, cause damage to biological organisms at the cellular level. Scary stuff, right? Well, lucky for us, the Gamma rays generated by our star’s solar fusion are processed into lower energy radiation before they even reach the surface of the Sun. Even so, other phenomena do generate Gamma rays, but typical exposure is extremely rare and in miniscule doses. Better still, our atmosphere does an excellent job of absorbing and reflecting these and other high-energy particles, such as X-rays.

Let’s take a look at what is left in our spectrum of sunlight: ultraviolet radiation. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation falls between the spectrum of visible light and X-rays, hence the name “ultra-violet” “extreme violet”. UV light is categorized into three types: UVA, UVB, and UVC. For the purposes of this article, let’s discard UVC (as that’s what our atmosphere literally does for us, it allows very little UVC to reach the surface of Earth). Instead, we’ll focus on how the remaining two types of ultraviolet light affect us on the cellular level; more specifically how they affect our skin.

All forms of UV light can damage and age the skin and cause cancer. Higher frequency UV radiation (e.g. UVB and UVC) can directly damage the DNA in our cells, causing mutations we call cancer. UVA indirectly causes DNA damage by exciting cells deeper within the body. Those cells may not be mutated, but they sure do misbehave in their excited state. However, you shouldn’t hurry to cancel your Summer vacation plans and shutter yourself into darkness. These same types of UV radiation play essential roles in our body’s natural processes.

That same skin-penetrating UVB triggers the synthesis of Vitamin D in our bodies. Vitamin D helps in the regulation of metabolism. Meaning, Vitamin D -- and other sun-generated vitamins and hormones -- are part of the process that tells your body whether to use the food energy (calories) you’ve consumed, store that energy for later (fat), and when your body should decrease its overall energy use (sleep). Some psychiatrists theorize that Vitamin D and serotonin influence mood and disposition. [“Seasonal affective disorder” - Wikipedia]

As with many things in life, we strive to find balance. Sunlight is “the only listed carcinogen that is known to have health benefits” [“Risks and benefits of sun exposure” - Wikipedia]. How can we minimize the risk of harm while receiving helpful benefits of the Sun’s light? This is where human technology and intelligence come in!

Sun protection has improved significantly since its invention. Sunscreen, in its most current form, can better withstand environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, moisture, etc.) and provide a better Sun Protection Factor (SPF). SPF, we find those numbers on bottles of sunscreen almost everywhere, but what do they mean?

The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a measure of protection offered by the sunscreen against UVB, which can cause sunburn. The true effectiveness of sunscreen depends greatly on a combination of factors: skin tone, amount of sunscreen applied (and re-applied), and the amount of sunscreen lost (absorbed into the skin or loosed from it by the environment and activity).

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT SPF RATING FOR YOU

STEP 1: Determine your skin tone and “time multiplier”. Would you consider your skin tone light (10 minutes), intermediate (15 minutes), or dark (20 minutes)?
STEP 2: Multiply the SPF rating by the time multiplier found in STEP 1.
(SPF rating) x time multiplier
STEP 3: The result is the estimated time (in minutes) your skin will be protected from UVB.

Keep in mind that most people have the tendency to only apply half as much sunscreen as they should. So, you may wish to compensate for this by dividing your result by 2 or 3. Also, cloud cover can decrease your exposure to UV light, but it won’t eliminate it entirely. Additionally, reflective surfaces may increase your exposure (since you’ll get it from multiple directions). Finally, you’ll recall that wonderful atmosphere I discussed earlier, protecting us from some of those high-energy rays? Well, the higher your altitude, the less atmosphere there is protecting you.

The most important thing to remember in all of this is that it is up to you to protect yourself from harm. Remember what I said, all forms of UV can cause cancer. Be careful not to overindulge to the point where you take your skin from one extreme to the other. Meaning, if you have naturally light skin tone, you should avoid altering your skin to the point where its tone would be considered dark. The amount of aging and radiation that it would have to undergo to reach that level of melatonin would be rather unhealthy. Find the right balance and keep yourself safe and healthy.

Survive in extreme temperatures

Six months ago, at the June solstice, I wrote "a series of Survival Guides in an attempt to educate and inform readers of wilderness survival techniques". Today, on the day of the December solstice, I would like to revisit the subject of survival.

Photo from telegraph.co.uk [found via Universe Today]

During a solstice, the "tilt" of the Earth is at its greatest angle in relation to its orbit around the Sun. Meaning, the Northern hemisphere is in the depths of Winter and the Southern hemisphere is at the peak of Summer. The solstice is a time of astronomical extremes and so are the conditions on our planet. Inspired by these extremes, I want to give you some guidance in today's article on surviving extreme temperatures.

Whether freezing cold or scorching heat, extreme temperatures stress the human body to death. Though apparent opposites, heat and cold cause similar problems. The human body is a system run at a consistent core temperature, any environment outside the usual comfort limits to this system causes the body to have to work harder to maintain its core temperature.

We have at least three options when it comes to our process of temperature maintenance:

1. Change our environment/location to bring it within our comfort limit.
2. Provide our bodies with the resources necessary to continue to operate under the demands of increased work.
3. Do nothing, risking the possibility that our body will fail to meet the new demands. Said simply: Death.

Regardless of the temperature, we need to address these basic components: shelter, water, and first-aid. Shelter allows us to insulate ourselves against the extremes (option 1). Water is a necessity for maintaining our internal system (option 2). First-aid allows us to treat any damage the environment may have caused to our bodies, injury and illness puts our body at greater risk, stressing it further.


SHELTER
Finding shelter is important in both heat and cold. In times of heat, it will shield you from the Sun and help you keep a little cooler. In times of cold, shelter will help stay warm and protect you from rain or snow.

"Shelter" is not only physical standing structures, shelter can refer to clothing as well. It's all about environmental comfort. When keeping warm, remember the COLD acronym:

CLEAN - Dirt weighs down clothing, decreasing the amount of air between one layer and the next. Air is essential to insulate the body and keep in the heat.
OVERHEATING - If you overheat your body, you'll begin to sweat. The moisture will cool you faster, not a good thing when trying to stay warm. Keep things comfortable, not hot.
LAYERS - Keep your layers loose. It's important to keep your blood flowing easily. It will help to circulate your core temperature and keep your extremities warm.
DRY - Any moisture, including sweat, cools the skin and collapses the layers of clothing.

Clothing is important for keeping cool as well. If trying to stay cool, clothing will help slow the evaporation of sweat. Additionally, clothing will protect your skin from the direct sunlight. Beware not to wear too much clothing though; cover what you are able, but don't overheat yourself further.


WATER
As I said in my article about Finding Water:

You should drink about two liters of water per day (2 L ≈ .5 gal) under normal circumstances. In more strenuous situations, you should intake four to six liters per day; "strenuous" describes anything outside tolerable temperatures (21°C ≈ 70°F) or stress levels (physical or mental). Basically, drink 2 liters when you're feeling average; more if you're not feeling average.

Staying hydrated is one of the most important steps to ensuring your survival. In addition to what I've already addressed in my related article, here are some other guidelines:

- Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol; those drinks will take more moisture from you than they offer.
- Do not eat/drink frozen water (e.g. snow or ice). If you do consume frozen water, you'll decrease your core body temperature, which your body then has to fight to restore. So, melt first!
- If trying to stay warm, avoid getting your clothes and skin wet when finding or consuming water.

FIRST-AID
Frost bite, sun burn, and exhaustion are a few of the dangers you face in extreme environmental conditions. I wrote about common ailments in my Wilderness First Aid article, be sure to supplement that knowledge with the following tips:

- Be careful with your skin. Both frost bite and sun burn are similar in their effect on the body.
- Don't ever rub damaged skin, you'll cause even more damage.
- Wear loose clothing so that you don't restrict blood flow.
- When trying to rewarm frost-bite, do NOT use hot water. Ideally, use water between 38°C (≈100°F) to 41°C (≈106°F).

Please take care in all times of year, especially when facing environmental extremes. Always try to stay informed of possible changes in weather and always plan/pack for the worst-case scenario whenever you leave your home (even if only a "quick trip").

Normality has been restored

An hour ago, the last clocks in the Northern Hemisphere were freed from Daylight Saving Time (DST). Sadly, there are some in the Southern hemisphere which have recently began their ritual of madness; for them I offer consolation with my article on "Why I hate Daylight Saving Time".

I am content to be rid of the odd adjustment for a few months and was set on climbing atop my soapbox and repeating a few of the reasons why you should be too. However, I noticed something this last week which gave me a bit of satisfaction. Discussions (both online and off) about DST have turned largely to criticism. I would overhear people on the bus who were "glad that Daylight Saving Time would be over soon, so that they could have their mornings back". I read many postings through social media of friends complaining of the troubles they had starting their day due to the dark mornings.

You see, DST was extended in the United States in 2007 by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 introduced by Joe Barton, Texas Republican and member of the Tea Party caucus. It should come as no surprise that Joe Barton was a consultant for an Oil and Gas company [Joe Barton - House.gov]. Barton has also been involved interfering in matters of environmental protection. Joe's Act was a success, by the way, a boon for the corporations interested in shifting consumers home earlier in the Summer afternoon (meaning, more AC) and awake earlier in the Winter morning (meaning, more heating). I'm going to stop myself here though about the involvement of energy corporations, mainly because it's all been said already and -- to my satisfaction -- I think most people get it now. (See my article in 2008: "Ditch Daylight Saving Time".)

Observers of DST have a bit of a conundrum, similar to many other system we're seeing protested these days, we're all subjected to the system as long as we continue to participate in it. Unlike oppressive big-brother governments, big financial institutions, and mass food-chains, time isn't just something we can institute locally; in fact it's actually federally prohibited in the USA [Gazette, The (Colorado Springs)]. It was that inability that caused me to realize something about Daylight Saving Time which I hadn't considered before: the practice of DST is similar to the use of the US measurement system. Meaning, it's hardened into the minds of its participants.

In dealing with Metrication, I learned years ago that you cannot change to a new system through confrontation or arrogance; you change through education in the new system while simultaneously slowly moving the old practice toward obsolescence. By the time you suggest removing the old system, most people (which is what matters in democracy) don't care if you do because they've been primarily using the new one anyway. For DST, this means that behaviors have to be changed in such a way that it won't matter what "time" it really is. In keeping with my choice in March, I am still going to avoid telling you how you might choose to spend your day, but I will tell you what I've chosen to do for myself.

Daylight Saving Time is all about "moving daylight". Repeating some text from eight months ago:

The idea of Daylight Saving Time is to make the most of the hours of daylight available during the Summer. That's fantastic! Unfortunately, people use DST as a crutch to hobble a few days of good feelings out of "more" daylight. You've heard this before, but I'll say it again: If you want more daylight, then use it when it's there. Consistently.

All of this shift is around the accepted "9 to 5 day". In a "9 to 5 day", 13:00 (1pm) is made the center point. I thought that was odd, considering noon (12:00) is supposed to be midday, so I chose to rethink my "day" as beginning at 8, thus I reset my midday to 12:00. Under DST, "high noon" occurs at 13:00 for nearly 75% of the year. (You can imagine how much that screws up how to "Tell time using the Sun or Moon".)

Greenwich GB Daylight Chart - Wikipedia

Now, my shift in thinking does not mean that I get to leave my job sooner, nor does it mean that I always greet my alarm with happiness in the morning. Similar to my state-of-mind with measurement -- where I use SI (aka Metric) in my head, but convert for the convenience of others in conversation -- I still participate in the daily schedules of those around me. Work is work and if you're lucky enough to have a job right now, you work the hours to which you and your employer agree upon. I do enjoy at least one advantage though, because of my choice I have freed myself from the lock-step of the populace. My choice to change my thinking allows me to shift my non-work activities to whatever feels right for me: I'm able to get in a bit of exercise, while the "9-to-5er" is just waking up; I can stop by the store on a dark Winter morning instead of dodging shopping carts in the aisles in the afternoon.

Another reason that this works well for me is that other parts of society have shifted as well. In the hopes of drawing more customers and more revenue, businesses have been lengthening their hours of operation; some banks are now opening an hour earlier than they did years ago and some retail stores even earlier than that. The minds and traditions of society have also adapted, the American dinner hour used to be 18:00 (6pm), enough time for the bread-winning father to stroll through the door after his 9-to-5 and sit down at the dinner table with his patiently-waiting wife and two or three kids. Now, due to the prevalence and popularity of "primetime television", meal times have been shifted earlier. Besides, now father is expected to help out after the meal and if anyone in that household expects to do anything after dinner that evening, the meal will shift earlier out of necessity.

You see, our observance of DST isn't only about time, it's about lifestyle and tradition. And the beauty of humanity is how we change and adapt, replacing old tools and techniques with new technology and better understood ideas. Don't get too comfortable with those new ideas though, they'll change eventually too.

The tipping point of 7 billion

According to research on population density and growth [Science Magazine] this year, estimates are that the human population will reach 7 billion sometime in the next two weeks. You will recall that I began this year with an article discussing the importance of valuing our balance with the planet and the fellow inhabitants of it. The moment for each of us to recognize our place as one of 7 billion is nearly upon us.

As I detailed in another article at the mid-point of this year, "we need to also open our minds to the diversity and beauty of what it means to be human". Each human on this wonderful planet is an organism of unique evolutionary elegance. As we approach 7 billion, I implore you, each reader, to recognize how much you value your community (family, friends, etc.) and also accept that every person -- friend or foe -- has a community which they also treasure and value.

Try to take a step back in your own mind; imagine that you can look through another person's eyes. Especially when making decisions which will affect another being or a community of beings, consider what actions you would wish to have taken toward your own community. Some choices do result in necessary consequence, but weigh the necessity of each reaction upon the quality of the action. In a group as large as our global human community is about to become, it is far too easy to become detached from the very ethics and connections which make us distinctly human.

[sounce]

Consider this, "between now and 2050 the world population will increase by 2.3 billion" [Singularity Hub].
With such drastic growth coming, excercising empathy and understanding will become paramount. Our technological, data-driven world, separates us from the human interaction. Consider your community, consider your network of connections, value every human you meet, greet, email, link, like, or poke. We are each one in 7 billion; meaning, we our each unique and different, but we are also each as inconsequential as the people we choose to ignore.

What If Aliens Came To Save the Galaxy From Mankind?

In an article on Slashdot, with the same titled as this one "What If Aliens Came To Save the Galaxy From Mankind?" [Slashdot], different scenarios of extra-terrestrial encounters are discussed. One suggests that aliens would come to Earth to exterminate us in order to protect the galactic whole.

It's an interesting thought, fun to consider, but the most enjoyable part of this recent Slashdot post was a very creative comment/mini-post made by the user lexsird [Slashdot] in which the user suggests "It already happened" [Slashdot].

Aliens did land here to destroy us, but they were small and insect like and the bug exterminator guy killed their entire galactic fleet, thinking they were some "weirdo bug infestation". A second attempt was tried by another species, and aquatic one, but it got ate by sharks. A third one came, land based and they were bigger, but were ate by the wild life. A fourth came and the RF that we are immune to quickly burned out their brains, and they too were ate by wild life.

A mechanical race came and was destroyed by a thunderstorm, when a bolt of lightning struck their ship and it exploded. Of course there have been several small missions which end up in races being consumed by just the biological aspects of our planet. Germs, viruses, and an assortment of microbes tend to make short work of them if they don't use the proper environmental protocols.

Not to mention we are a biological weapon to 99.9999999% of the species in the known universe. Many in the galaxy speculate that the "creator" an extra dimensional entity that instilled the creation codes, was being some kind of a dickhead when he instilled the planetary creation code for this planet. Many speculate and fear that we are doomsday weapon made by said "creator", some want to destroy us, others think we have some special link with the "creator" and should just stay away at least.

Considering we breath poisoned gas, we are mostly water, which is a universal solvent that eats through many species on contact. We live near oceans of water which scare most species. We are larger than most species by far and are physically more capable. We have lived in a constant state of war with each other since before our history, hence we are really good at it and durable, some how we fight each other so hard, yet our species is over populated. Which is a terrifying aspect of us, we breed so fast compared to most species.

Most species pray that we will just kill ourselves off. Others are convinced we will achieve the technology to travel about the universe, hence over running it in a matter of eons. But it's galactic law that nobody gives us any aid, and any species that tries to cultivate us is punished. Often rich juveniles from a species will buzz Planet Earth to impress a mate or mates, only to get shot down, spotted or crash; many escape, but its still risky behavior that if caught gets severe punishments.

Mostly we are immune to solar radiation, in fact we bath in it to get a tan. Our Sun puts out enough EMP to burn up the nervous system of some delicate species before they even get near Earth. Our skin though we think it's thin in contrast to some of the beasts of the planet, is incredible to most species. It's chemical resistant, radiation resistant, and waterproof which baffles everyone. Shooting an Earthling with an alien water cannon only amuses them. They in fact stole several water cannons and reproduce them as toys under the "Super Soaker" line. An Earthling child with a water gun chills the bones of the hardiest of galactic warriors.

Lastly, what we can eat is frightening as well. What we eat and drink frightens most species away alone. Most of them would be on our dinner plate, as a delicacy. Not to mention our waste byproducts are the most foul bits of toxic waste in the universe. They have watched us poke and prod everything on our planet and try to eat it. We have even ate each other, which is a horror that most minds can't comprehend in the universe. Not to mention we skin other species and wear them as clothes and trophies.

Then some have tried to understand us, they have figured out that TV is some form of entertainment to us, not educational, not some history archive. This process drove many species insane. One species was found in some insane collective nightmare after watching Gilligan's Island episodes, they fell into some logic loop and have been catatonic as a species ever since. They have concluded that we as a species are quite insane and it's illegal to attempt to figure us out psychologically.

Its now been a much debated subject of trying to destroy Earth. Most figure its an impossibility and that we will do it ourselves. Others fear failure and we will at last notice, get angry and come hunt them down. The last species made it all the way to Earth's orbit only to get pelted with micro meteors, lost EMP shields, then burned up in the atmosphere. It's always bad luck coming here.

What a fantastic and fun evaluation of our interaction with the world (and Universe) around us. To the user lexsird, if you're reading this, thank you for your few minutes of creative musing.

7 billion "typical" humans

In an article published at midnight (UTC) on January 1st, I drew attention to the fact that this year (2011) the human population of our planet will reach 7 billion.

As part of their seven-part series on the subject of "Population 7 Billion", National Geographic took a look at "The Face of 7 Billion" [National Geographic] to study the "typical" human.

["The Face of 7 Billion" - National Geographic]

Right now is the date and time of the midpoint (182.5 days) of this year (2011-07-01 12:00:00 UTC). Inspired by the statistics National Geographic presented, I want to gather my own and add some detail to what we understand of our humanity.

PRIMARY LANGUAGE

Mandarin Chinese (845 million): 12.43%
Spanish (329 million): 4.84%
English (328 million): 4.82%
Arabic (221 million): 3.25%
Hindi (182 million): 2.68%
Bengali (181 million): 2.66%
Portuguese (178 million): 2.62%
Russian (144 million): 2.12%
Japanese (122 million): 1.79%
German (3 million): 0.04%
sum of all others: ≈ 62.75%

According to a statistical study by Ethnologue, over 62 percent of the human population doesn't recognize one of the top 10 languages as their primary language. Our ability to communicate with words is something which makes us somewhat unique among other animals. Even so, the breadth our diversity is clearly evident in this first statistic.

RELIGION

Christianity (2.1 billion): 30.88%
Islam (1.5 billion): 22.06%
Hinduism (900 million): 13.24%
Irreligious/agnostic (theistic) (550 million): 8.09%
Atheistic (550 million): 8.09%
Chinese traditional religion (394 million): 5.79%
Buddhism (376 million): 5.53%
Animist religions (300 million): 4.41%
African traditional/diasporic religions (100 million): 1.47%
Sikhism (23 million): 0.34%
sum of all others: ≈ 0.1%

In 2005, Adherents.com listed "Major Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents". As you can see in my summary, no one religion is in the majority. In fact, if we combine the irreligious and atheistic, we see that those who are not religious and/or are atheistic rank 3rd among the beliefs of humanity.

WATER AND SANITATION

Lack access to safe drinking water (1.1 billion): 17.74%

and/or

Lack access to basic sanitation (2.6 billion): 41.93%

The numbers above are from a UNICEF (UNICEF is the United Nations Children's Fund) estimate in 2005. Thanks almost entirely to humanitarian efforts throughout the years, especially by the UN*, those percentages have gone down. Today, almost 90% of humanity has access to safe drinking water, but that remaining 10% is still serious as it constitutes nearly 700 million people in our world of 7 billion.

LITERACY

Age 15 and over can read and write: 82%

Much of the human population is literate, which is very important considering the impact that education has on the other demographics I've listed. That said, it's worth noting that "over two-thirds of the world's ... illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan)" [CIA World Factbook].

If we seek to balance our relationship with our planet, as I suggested in January, we need to also open our minds to the diversity and beauty of what it means to be human and check our "resolve to becoming an organism who seeks the balance of a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with Earth and the other approximately 6,999,999,999 people on it." ["2011: The year of 7 billion" - INDY Blog]

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* To be honest, I think the United Nations deserves far more recognition for all it does in the way of improving the lives of humans all over Earth. The organization and the people who truly drive its efforts are nothing like the portrayal in minds and media: the bureaucratic soap-box for arrogant and selfish politicians.

Make Earth Day about the Earth

Good morning! Today is Earth Day [EarthDay.org].

Forty-one years ago, the first Earth Day took place in the United States of America. Twenty years later, Earth Day went international, inspiring environmental awareness around the globe. What is Earth Day now? To some it is a day of measuring the consequences of human actions; to others it is a day of natural wonder.

I find it unfortunate that society has become so focused on controversy and opposition that people have forgotten the joy and excitement of special days of recognition. In the case of Earth Day, it would seem that many people view it now as a day of either penance or preaching.

In March, I invited readers to make Earth Hour "a time for thoughtful reflection". For Earth Day, I invite you to put your focus on the Earth. Seems obvious, right? There's a catch.

I don't only mean for us to focus on the environmental impact of human actions on our planet; I want to draw focus and appreciation on the planet as a whole: the beauty, diversity, and power of our world. Perhaps, as a child, you felt awe when you witnessed some specific aspect of Earth for the first time: volcanoes, ocean life, mountain peaks, human cultures, ancient artifacts or sites, etc..

Today, look at the world around you as if you are seeing it for the first time. Appreciate the nuance and beauty that surrounds you, then share the wonder you've felt with others. Your individual impact on the planet may be up for debate, but the impact of your actions and words on the people around you will always be strong.

Happy Earth Day! And finally, remember to say, "I love the World!"

A time for thoughtful reflection

Tonight, cities across the globe are powering down in recognition of Earth Hour. Over the years, Earth Hour has gathered a great deal of support. For some, the cognizance brought on by Earth Hour has changed how they behave in their daily lives; while others seem to only switch off their lights for that one hour before they again switch off their minds to the world for the rest of the year.

I've tried to make Earth Hour more than a simple act of environmental conservation and observation. Since I began recognizing it in 2008, I have tried to make Earth Hour a time of contemplation personally, culturally, and globally. Tonight, I encourage you to do the same.

As an aide in triggering those thoughts, allow me to share a list with you made by Tony Schwartz which he published in the Harvard Business Review. In his list, Tony presents us with a side-by-side grouping of things he thinks "We need LESS" and things "We need MORE":

WE NEED LESS:	WE NEED MORE:
Information	Wisdom
Shallow billionaires	Passionate teachers
Self-promotion	Self-awareness
Multitasking	Control of our attention
Inequality	Fairness
Sugar	Lean protein
Action	Reflection
Super sizes	Smaller portions
Private jets	High-speed trains
Calculation	Passion
Experts	Learners
Blaming	Taking responsibility
Judgment	Discernment
Texting	Reading
Anger	Empathy
Output	Depth
Constructive criticism	Thank-you notes
Possessions	Meaning
Righteousness	Doing the right thing
Answers	Curiosity
Long hours	Longer sleep
Complaining	Gratitude
Sitting	Moving
Selling	Authenticity
Cynicism	Realistic optimism
Self-indulgence	Self-control
Speed	Renewal
Emails	Conversations
Winning	Win-win
Immediate gratification	Sacrifice
Source: http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz/2011/03/30-things-we-need-and-30-we-do.html

It matters little what you may think of specific items from Tony's list; my hope is that this will prompt you to consider the same comparison of "needs" in your own life, as it did for me.

Whether it's during the official Earth Hour (20:30 - 21:30 local time) [Earth Hour] or during a different hour of your choosing, I encourage you to turn off your lights, your gadgets, and your daily routine. In place of your usual behaviors for that hour, light a candle, sit outside, or simply meditate in the solace of your mind and spend an hour in consideration of your choices and how they affect you, your family and friends, your community, your culture, and your planet.

2011: The year of 7 billion

2011-01-01 0:00:00 UTC
Welcome to the year 2011*!

This year, the human population of our planet will reach 7 billion.
That fact alone is immensely significant, considering our population was only 2 billion 81 years ago.

National Geographic is launching a seven part series "Population 7 Billion" to draw attention to the impact of our species' growth on Earth. (I've embedded the 3 minute promo video in this post.)


YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc4HxPxNrZ0

As the promo points out, it's not that there isn't enough space; it's that we, as a species, lack a balance for our planet to sustain us at our current growth rate. Allow me to paraphrase it another way....

If we were the essential bacteria within one's digestive tract, we've long passed the point of helping our host with necessary process of digestion and have become an internal infection: We would be killing our host. (Mutualism vs. Parasitism [wikipedia])

In the year 2011, resolve to becoming an organism who seeks the balance of a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with Earth and the other approximately 6,999,999,999 people on it.

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* 2011 actually began for Earth 14 hours ago in Kiritimati, Christmas Island, Kiribati [Time and Date.com]; Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the standard international time reference, therefore I'm using it.

Everyone deserves clean water

Please take 5 minutes to watch this amazing video about an effort to bring clean drinking water to everyone on the planet.




URL: http://vimeo.com/6202666

Earth Day 2009

Please consider carefully how the actions you take today (and everyday) affect the world around you and of future generations. I'm not asking you to live like a dread locked ancient human surveying the savanna, but do ask yourself some questions when you move through your day.

Here are some suggestions:
"Must I really have that item?" "Do I really need to use the car to get there?" "Should I really drive like this?" "Do I really need bottled water when I have fresh water on tap?" "Is it really necessary to print that?" "Can this be used again?" "Can this be fixed?" "Can I open a window to make it more comfortable in here?"

The point is... think of the NEEDS, not the WANTS. Think of your needs, think of the needs of your children, think of the needs of a sustainable future.

Happy Earth Day! And finally, remember to say, "I love the World!"

Explore the cycle

For a while now, my family has been living by the Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Ultimately, wishing to be kind to the environment should really be focusing on decrease how much stuff they consume (Reduce, Reuse), right down to what may seem like the most insignificant of items (Remember this post? "Please Don't Print this E-mail Revolution"). However, at some point things will reach the end of their use and we -- the consumer -- become the judges of where a product spends its afterlife.... Will it be banished to the depths of a landfill? OR Will it be reincarnated as a new product?

If you're curious how recycling works or if you've recently heard people talking about "single stream recycling" but don't know what it is, then you may want to spend a few minutes watching a very comprehensive set of videos made by RecycleBank about the recycling process.

So, go ahead! Explore the cycle and remember to choose the destiny of your waste wisely!


URL: http://www.explorethecycle.com/

Generation We

Remember what I said about placing your "Vote for Tomorrow"? What about when I told you to think about future generations when I pointed out "what is in the power of a vote"?

Well, the next in line of those future generations is speaking out. Listen to what they have to say.

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vknHKTy1MLY

Happy Halloween! Creepy Pet Store

In the modern creepy Halloween traditions, I present to you this video of a rather unusual sort of Pet store.

URL: http://vimeo.com/2000382

In his own way, British artist Banksy has provided a bit of commentary on our societal relationship with animals. Giving credit where it is due, I came across this video while sifting through my feed items today, a post from Treehugger happened to catch my eye.

INDY Poll: Who would you like to see win the 2008 United States Presidential Election?

I've made a new INDY Poll available. During convention season, I mentioned that I would make a poll for the 2008 United States Presidential Ballot once all the major parties* had selected their candidates.
* I'm defining a major party as those parties whose candidates appear "on the ballot in enough states to theoretically win a majority in the U.S. Electoral College" [wikipedia]. For a full list of the 2008 candidates check out Wikipedia's "List of candidates in the United States presidential election, 2008".

As always, I encourage you to learn about the candidates, their parties, and where they stand on the issues. I believe that votes should be cast toward the candidate(s) who you feel would best represent your opinions and values in their office. To aid you in that understanding, I am including links to Wikipedia's articles on the candidates' parties, their campaigns, and I will even provide you with links to some helpful online "quizzes".

INDY Poll: Who would you like to see win the 2008 United States Presidential Election?

- Constitution: Baldwin / Castle
- Democratic: Obama / Biden
- Green: McKinney / Clemente
- Independent: Nader / Gonzalez
- Libertarian: Barr / Root
- Republican: McCain / Palin

As of yet, I've only found a couple online "quizzes" that I really like as far as political opinion alignment goes. The number one on my list has always been SelectSmart.

In fact, I'll throw SelectSmart's 2008 Presidential Candidate Selector Widget into the post right here:

(If the widget doesn't show up, just use the link I just provided.)

I came across another quiz today which is also pretty decent. However, it is really only good for aligning you with a candidate on environmental issues, SelectSmart's selectr address an array of issues. Anyhow, here's The Daily Green "Which candidate thinks like you on environmental issues?" quiz.

Once you've got your choice figured out, come jump back over to the INDY Blog and place your vote in the poll. (The poll closes at midnight MDT on November 5th; and you can always change your vote up until that point.)